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Namibia in a 4×4 with a roof tent

Sublime views and ever-changing landscapes. Zebras on the road, hyraxes in your campsite. And those sunsets! A road trip through Namibia is something you will never forget. Especially if you explore it in a 4×4 with a roof tent. Below are some highlights from the trip we made for iFly KLM Magazine.

Camping without neighbours

Journeying through Namibia means driving through boundless emptiness, rarely encountering any other traffic. Crossing this untouched landscape is an experience in itself and you’ll have plenty of room around you at the campsites.

Any neighbours will be camped dozens of metres away and any visitors are most likely to be rock dassies. You’ll also often have the luxury of your own toilet, shower and washing-up facilities right next to your tent.

Desert ghost town

Somewhat off the beaten track, Kolmanskop is a place you really don’t want to miss. From 1901 to 1930, this was a thriving German, diamond-mining town.

The desert is now gradually reclaiming this ghost town and filling the houses with sand. You can wander around here for hours. A tip for photographers: you can collect a special photography permit very early in the morning at the entrance, which gains you access to the town from sunrise to sunset.

Elephants, lions and giraffes

Although you come across a lot of wildlife en route, you really shouldn’t miss out on a visit to Etosha National Park. Lion, giraffe, zebra, springbok and rhino can all be found here.

The best time to spot wildlife is at the end of the dry season, in September. This is when all the wildlife gathers around the park’s many waterholes, guaranteeing National Geographic tableaux.

Skeleton trees and towering sand dunes

The iconic sand dunes of Sossusvlei are Namibia’s calling card. Watching sunrise from the top of the 85 metre-high Dune 45 cannot be missed, but you do have to stay at the Sesriem campsite to be able to do this.

This campsite is inside the park’s perimeter, which means you can set off an hour before sunup and beat the masses who flood in later.

Afterwards you can head on to Deadvlei. This bone-dry salt pan contains 900-year old dried-out trees, which are spread, like magnificent standing fossils, across the pan.

Hippos in the north

The water-rich north of the country is often skipped by tours around Namibia. But this green region offers a delightful contrast to the sand and aridity of the rest of the country.

The powerful Okavango River carves its way through the landscape here and the sunsets are unparalleled. At night the peace is shattered by roaring hippos and trumpeting elephants.

Interested in reading about the whole journey?

The tale of this trip and the complete travel schedule is published in the latest edition of iFly Magazine.

Photography: Iris van den Broek

About iFly KLM Magazine

iFly KLM Magazine is KLM’s online magazine. For the last six years we have been inspiring people around the world with wonderful travel stories, video reportages, and surprising travel tips for destinations that are new to KLM’s network, or which KLM has been serving for many years. Sign up for the newsletter to make sure you don’t miss a thing.